Maria Aguiar

Maria Aguiar was, until spring of 2016, technical support staff for La Via Campesina at the international level on several internal organizational work teams and supported La Via Campesina North America Region. She is a Brazilian by birth, and has a decades-long history of work in solidarity with Brazilian social movement organizations, Puerto Rican social justice organizations, women of color organizations and food sovereignty and food justice efforts. Having been a member of the national coordination of the Venceremos Brigade, she also has a history of support for the normalization of relations with Cuba. From 2001-2010, Maria served as the Director of Global Programs and Director of Advocacy and Grantmaking for Grassroots International, overseeing the work in country programs in Palestine, Eritrea, Haiti, Mexico and Brazil. During that time she also offered significant input in the development of Grassroots International’s Resource Rights and US-based advocacy programs.

She has extensive experience working with Latin American women’s organizations as a member of the writing and editorial team for Nuestros Cuerpos, Nuestras Vidas, the Spanish translation/adaptation of the landmark Boston Women’s Health Book Collective, Our Bodies, Ourselves. Maria Aguiar has over 30 years involvement, at both staff and board levels, with community based organizations promoting public health, community development and social justice in Latino communities here in the United States. She has taught community development and public health in community based and local university settings. Maria holds a Masters in Public Health from the Boston University School of Public Health with a special certificate in Health Care in Developing Countries.